Closure
by sharonrainsworth
Summary: A few weeks after Ayano's passing, the family has yet to move on. Kano tries to help his brother and sister get some type of closure, in the only way he knows how.


Dinner sat forgotten on the table, barely scratched by the forks sitting idly across the plates. The chairs were neatly tucked in under the table, as if the living had tried to mimic the daily motions of routine life, but couldn't quite force themselves to complete the motions. It was an elaborate ruse that could only go so far. The air in the house had been cast with a ghostly silence that lowered around the atmosphere like a thick fog, as the only communication that has transpired recently had been received through knowing glances. There had been a silent understanding that nothing had to be said.

Fingers that were just as lanky as he was rested on the calendar which had read "Aug. 15". A thin layer of dust coated it, as they had been living but they haven't been moving. With hasty swipes of a dull red marker, he crossed the remaining days off to mark the passage in time that had been ignored. The overbearing silence had pulled hard on the strained chords in his heart, and he wasn't sure how much pulling it could take.

He argued internally about whether his actions were truly out of sympathy for his siblings, or because of selfish loneliness. He didn't want to return to the sad echoes of the past, of waiting, of watching his loved ones suffer without an answer. Even if he didn't deserve happiness, or an answer, they - of all people - did.

Night had fallen hours ago, sweeping through the corners of the room. His eyes had already adjusted while his siblings slept soundly. He lurked through thin strands of silver light from the moon, as sleep had a knack of refusing to ever grace him. He, as always, had been careful to let the others lay undisturbed.

Kido's door creaked open slowly, the only sound in a room that seemed to be in constant perfect organization, not a single speck of dust lay in disarray. The room held itself to maintain the same level of hiding the reality of it's contents as it's owner. Soft feet padded through the door, making their way for the bed, whose owner lay face down

"Kido…" They said, keeping their voice to a low whisper, stopping just out of arm's reach.

"Go away, Kano." Voice muffled by her pillow, Kido grumbled as if by instinct, without even shifting a strand of green hair.

"Kido, it's me," Ayano tilted her head, her hands curled around the scarf snaking her neck. A tender smile eased it's way onto her face as Kido slowly raised her head, her long hair tumbling around her shoulders in knots. Ayano watched her sleepy eyes sort through her emotions, sliding in and out of consciousness.

"...Aya...no…?" She pushed her bangs out of the away and rubbed her eyes, blinking a few times.

"I just wanted to talk to you one last time," Ayano laughed nervously, her voice reminiscent of butterflies floating by on a warm spring day. Her uniform was covered in faded stains of blood that had streaked through it not long ago, and the thin outline of the moonline around her figure made her glow.

"I don't have very long… with this type of thing…" Ayano's gaze softened, " but I want you to know I'm very proud of you. You've grown up so well, Kido. You be sure to watch those boys and keep them in line for me, okay? They need you. You're such a beautiful girl, you're going to do great things someday, you know that? You're going to be okay - Be okay for me."

"This-"

"I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm so sorry, I love you." Ayano offered a big grin that scrunched the corners of her nose, punctuated with her soft laugh, before she stepped back and faded into the dark recesses of Kido's room. Her small feet went out the door, leaving it open behind her.

Kido threw off her covers and followed after, but the hallways of the house remained untouched, without a single breathing creature other than her treading through it. She double-checked Kano's room, but each time he lay sound asleep, with limbs strewn just as haphazardly as his clothes lay dangled across each piece of furniture. She sighed, and headed back to her own room, her search bearing no reward.

A similar visitor came to Seto, who had seemed to roll off the bed somewhere in the middle of the night, and was now sleeping soundly across the middle of the floor, completely unfazed. Ayano laughed quietly to herself, and stood over the boy, holding her scarf close to her neck, as not to touch him.

"Seto?"

He turned his head towards her, responding to the voice, but hardly awake.

"Seto. Seto it's me, Ayano. I wanted to say good-bye properly. I don't have as long as I would like, but this… will have to do." Her lips formed a small smile, and she looked at his as if he was pure gold, "You are such a brave boy, with such a warm heart, and I love you for that. Please, never let that fade, okay? I am so proud, and I'm so sorry for leaving you all, I hope you can forgive me. Bye, Seto."

He reached out a curious hand to touch her face hovering above his, but she backed away. It was only a few hours before the sun will rise, and she left just as fast as she came.

"Why didn't you clean up the dishes after dinner, like you're supposed to?" Kido growled at him from across the dining room the next morning, "I can't even trust an idiot like you with such a simple task."

"Sorry, Kido, it must have slipped my mind~" He strung both arms over the back of a chair, leaning it back and cocking his head to the side like a cat watching it's prey. An innocent, yet smug smirk danced across his face.

"Do it tonight. Or else." She muttered quickly as gathered up the dishes in one hand, shooting him a glance.

"You're so talkative today!"

"Shut up."

As she left the room, Kano thought to himself, that if they ever found out, they would probably never believe him. But this isn't the first he has had kept a secret from them for the sake of Ayano. Maybe the fact that he has eerily memorized all her patterns and behaviors over time would be beneficial. Maybe this closure would help him slowly get his siblings back.

They deserved closure and peace. Even if he didn't.


End file.
